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IKHWAN TODAY : An Alternative Website for Muslim Today

God Is Important In Our Daily Lives, Living Solely With Natural Instinct Is Inadequate

Fitrah another word for human natural instincts or human needsand these needs, some are important, some are less important. There is only one main need or desire i.e. the need or desire to have God in life. The less important ones are numerous which include the need for love and care, friendships, love for beauty, harmony, peace and serenity and love for good characters such as gentleness, generous, humble, forgiving etc.

Actually, we are able to live in peace and harmony solely with our natural instincts especially when the instincts are still good, undamaged and unpolluted by the surroundings. Following solely on the natural instincts, society could be in peace, harmonious and helping each other as these are natural desires and humans will behave according to their natural desires.

If we are to observe the lifestyles of the aborigines or orang asli living in the forest, they are able to interact among each other and are capable of creating a harmonious and peaceful community solely based on their natural instincts. In other parts of the world there are communities living in peace and harmony. Even though there are judiciary systems to punish the law breakers, in actual fact they are guided by their own social code which have been accepted by everyone in the community. At times, these social codes or ethics has become part of their culture or traditions, unwritten or unrecorded but all members of the community have understood and have become part of their lives.

These social ethics or code are the result from the natural instincts desiring for peace, harmony and serenity in their society. But these are peace from natural instincts, not peace from God. God does not wish for us to have peace and be good solely depending on natural instincts as He wishes for us to be good because of Him. Peace and goodness solely based on natural instincts would not withstand trials and tribulations. A good person based solely on natural instincts when faced with tests, his goodness will diminish and his negative characters will surfaced. An angry and temperamental person, for example, will feel calm and composed in peaceful surroundings. Once he’s under pressure and faced with difficulties, he will be annoyed and be out of control. Someone who is impatient and not in acceptance (redha) appears calm and composed when all his needs are met. But when his needs are limited and he becomes poor, he would be disturbed and disgruntled. He may even give up. And it goes on.

Living with God means God is the essence or core in life. God is the faith and the control.Every aspect of lfe is associated with God. We are relying on God’s strength. Peace, serenity and harmony in the society are all the outcome from love and fear of God. All the desirable characters in an individual are the result of mujahadah (battle with nafs) and self correctionurged by the fear of God. When we live with God, it’s easy to feel calm and patient with hardships and tests as we totally depend on God. If in times of hardships and tests we are able to be calm and composed ,what more in times of comfort and wealth.

God is Most Gracious and Most Merciful. He desires Himself to be involved in every single aspects and problems of His servants. It is as if God is disappointed when He is not included in our daily lives and problems. To God, His servants are His belongings. He is the only One most deserving to help and assist His servants. Let us not put God aside but to live with Him.

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One comment on “IKHWAN TODAY : An Alternative Website for Muslim Today”

ALhamdulilah. More needs to be said about TAQWA and FITRAH. However, you have not emphasized that under TAQWA, we may be involved in many unpleasant things. This is part of our TESTING.

FITRAH is not ALLOWED by Allah swt to give us peace and harmony everywhere, because our TAQWA requires struggle and, sometimes, defeat. Gaza has been DEFEATED militarily, whereas she may have WON in the spiritual realm.